Murtaugh in Skyrim
by Gramayre
Summary: Murtaugh flies into Skyrim expecting to find barabarians of the North that he had been told about. Instead, he finds a country with a complex government system and booming cities. But, the people there are not too happy about the Dragonborn riding a dragon...


Murtaugh revelled the feel of the cold wind against his face. Thorn's red scales stood out starkly against the snow-covered mountains around them that stood even taller than some in the Beor Mountains. Thorn circled slowly downwards to land at the top of one of these huge mountains. Just as Murtaugh dismounted, he was knocked down by a huge gust of wind.

Murtaugh looked up to see a large white dragon easily as big as Thorn, maybe even a bit larger. _Get off this mountain, Dovah-friend!_ The dragon shouted at him mentally. It showed its teeth threateningly and stared into Thorn's eyes.

_What do you mean, Dovah-friend?_ Murtaugh asked the dragon. _We are not from around here. I don't even know what a dovah is!_

The dragon took half a step back. _It is true; I sense it. Where are you from, young human? This is Skyrim where you now stand._

_So that's the name of this place. Thorn and I come from Algaesia. My name is Murtaugh,_ he replied.

_I am Pathurnax. I heard of Algaesia once, long ago. You have travelled far. For what reason, though, may I ask?_ The dragon sat back on its haunches in a friendly demeanour.

Murtaugh looked at Thorn for permission to tell him, and the dragon nodded his head slightly. _We have been tormented nearly beyond repair. We come only for solitude, _Murtaugh told Pathurnax.

_You have come to the right place for solitude. The Throat of the World is the most secluded place you will find in Skyrim. Only monks reside here, and they will not bother you much. But, this place at the top of the mount is not proper for humans. You should go down below and talk to the Greybeards._

Murtaugh nodded his thanks and then started down a small path that led downwards. _Thorn, if there is room, you should follow me._ The path wound on for quite a while, but it allowed Murtaugh time to think. He liked this place.

At the end of the path was a large stone building. There was a basket at the front of it filled with food- probably provisions, he reasoned- and stone stairs led up to a deck with two large doors leading into the building. He nudged open one of the doors and peered inside. Four men with long, grey beards were kneeling on the ground in the middle of a square carved into the floor. _They must be the Greybeards,_ Murtaugh thought. One looked up and stared directly into his eyes, and Murtaugh could only hope he hadn't seen him, however unlikely that was.

"Come in, Dovahkiin. We have been waiting for you," the Greybeard said. Knowing it was too late to back out now, Murtaugh opened the door all the way and entered the building.

"What is a Dovahkiin?" Murtaugh asked. Thorn was still outside. If he had to, he could make a run for it and ride away on Thorn, but he really didn't see why he was so scared. These were who Pathurnax had pointed him to in the first place.

The Greybeard started walking towards him, and held out a hand for him to shake when he got within reach. "You are the hero of Skyrim, though you do not know it yet. Come, sit with us. We will explain everything, but not here. Follow me to a chair," the Greybeard said.

There was a hallway behind the main room where they had been meditating and it led to long, narrow rooms with chairs and tables in them. The Greybeard sat at one of the tables and motioned for Murtaugh to do the same. "I am Wulfgar, and these are my fellow Greybeards. We study the Thu'um of dragons, but none can master it quite as well as the Dragonborn, or Dovahkiin. We believe that you are that Dovahkiin, Murtaugh," Wulfgar said.

Murtaugh paused when the other man addressed him by his name. "I never told you my name. How did you know it?"

"Pathurnax told us. He sensed you were Dragonborn as soon as you conversed with him through your mind. Unbeknownst to you, you opened your mind up to him, and he was able to peer into your very soul, which happens to be that of a dragon's," Wulfgar explained.

"I do not have the soul of a dragon! I was born of two perfectly normal humans, neither of which had any dragon heritage," Murtaugh said in outrage, but he flinched as he remembered who his parents actually were- his father, particularly.

Wulfgar chuckled softly. "Being Dragonborn has nothing to do with heritage. It has everything to do with Akatosh seeing you as a fitting man for his Dovahkiin."

Murtaugh sighed. His seemingly perfect place had become too stressful for his liking. Just when he thought he was done with drama, it had begun again. "What does the Dragonborn do, anyway?"

"They have the ability to steal a very dragon's soul. Therefore, you are the only one who can stop the dragons that are returning."


End file.
